Loop

Malmberget (literal translation: the Ore Mountain) is a mining district in Lapland (Sweden), that developed at the end of 19th century. During the 20th century the town’s population increased in line with the development of ore-mining.The deeper the mining operations go, the more land surface is affected. The “Pit” expands and the centre contracts.Because of the risk of collapse, buildings have either been demolished, moved or abandoned.The Pit area has been fenced off due to the danger of crash. The result is that wherever you go in Malmberget the fenced off area is a constant presence, visible from more or less every street corner, creating a sense of isolation and desolation.

In Malmberget there is a specific area called Shantytown that has been built as a controversial reconstruction of the old town, in connection with the centenary celebration in 1988, with the intent to display a part of the town’s history that was no longer visible.In the end of the Shantytown street is located a wood basement with a small piece of railway and a wagon on it, symbolizing ore mine’s transportation. Nowadays, this basement has been partly embodied in the fenced off area.To me, this site symbolically represents the connection between Malmberget’s inhabitants and the mining site. Mining company strictly depends by inhabitants and vice versa.On the basement, I decided to draw a white line that represents the shape of the denied area, which is half located on the Pit site side, half on the accessible area.Walking on the line, I focus the attention on the limit that this drawing represents; crossing the fence twice, I underline the important relationship between the community and the mine site.